Aerin having a hard time still being a part of the group is understandable because he was friends with them, they trusted him and ultimately he betrayed them so it’s more reasonable for them to still be upset with him because he was lying from the start. Valax kidnapped and hurt mc but still the group knew she was evil because she was blunt about it, they didn’t expect her to be sorry from the get go but ig spending time with her they got to know her and she was able to adjust being in the group. I do think they shouldn’t have rushed this friendship with her. Sometimes i think about whether they just wanted to add a cool new badass character instead of actually developing her properly and address mc and valaxs complicated relationship. Like mc is all friendly towards her giving her hugs and I’m like this woman kidnapped you and took your blood?? The least they could have done is make mc flinch when Valax is near her sometimes and then slowly start being more comfortable around her. I see the treatment towards Aerin similarly to Reiner from Attack on Titan. Reiner was there guiding them, helping them, becoming their friend but he knew in the beginning that he was their enemy. It hurt them more when Reiner betrayed them bc he had become friends with them. (Plus the snarky remarks Aerin makes to cope can irritate anyone)
Ultimately what hurt Aerins development in book 2 is because they were just too focused on writing a new villain (who will be redeemed in the same book.) They had to dial it down on the torture to still make Valax redeemable for players. It’s like you have to play an mc who is forgiving and openly friendly/trusting nature and other players had a different idea to their MCs and again i completely understand why you wouldn’t want to be friends with Valax just as you don’t want to be friends with Aerin.
